Appendix 6.1

The Incidence of Banassac Samian in Britain

For this South Gaulish source see Hoffmann (1988). Hartley gives a dating for Banassac ware of c. AD 95-130 (Hartley 2000, 191).

CATALOGUE

By administrative region and site.

Cumbria; Essex; Hertfordshire; North Yorkshire; Warwickshire; Wales;

Hartley states that: "... in general Banassac ware is very uncommon in Britain, and there is much doubt about many of the suggested pieces. Moulds from La Graufesenque were certainly used there, and equally certainly some potters from that centre either migrated to Banassac or had branches there. But many of the so-called Banassac styles have parallels at La Graufesenque itself" (Hartley 2000, 181).

This catalogue lists the occurrence of items from this source recorded by the author in the course of the study. Whilst the distribution of this ware in Britain was not researched exhaustively it is hoped that this detailed list will be a useful resource.

Cumbria:

Carlisle

Present (Dickinson forthcoming).

Old Penrith

Present (Dickinson forthcoming).

Essex:

Colchester 1971-86

Dannell, G.B. 1999a. Decorated South Gaulish samian, in R.P. Symonds and S. Wade, Roman Pottery from Excavations in Colchester 1971-86, Colchester Archaeological Report 10, Colchester Archaeological Trust, Colchester, 13-74.

Dickinson, B.M. 1999e. Samian stamps, in R.P. Symonds and S. Wade, Roman Pottery from Excavations in Colchester 1971-86, Colchester Archaeological Report 10, Colchester Archaeological Trust, Colchester, 120-36.

Site type: Major civil centre.

Dannell documents the presence of just two decorated items, both Drag. 37, from this source amongst the collections. He suggests they are likely to of 2nd century date; one is attributed to Amandus; both were recovered from the Balkerne Lane 1973-6 site (Dannell 1999).

Dickinson notes one stamped item from this source, stamped '[I]ANVAF' being Ianua ii, Die 1a, dated to the late first to early second century; this occurs on a Drag. 33 recovered from a Post-Roman deposit at Balkerne Lane 1973-6 (1999e, 131). [Identification BMD & GBD].

Heybridge, Elms Farm 1993-5

Dickinson, B.M. forthcoming. Samian, in M. Atkinson, Excavations at Heybridge, Elms Farm, 1993-5.

Site type: Smaller centre.

Sherds from 7 vessels occur:

Drag. 27 x 1
Drag. 37 x 5
Drag. 42 x 1

All date to the first half of the second century AD (Dickinson forthcoming). [Identification BMD].

Hertfordshire:

Gadebridge Park Villa

Neal, D.S. 1974. The Excavation of the Roman Villa in Gadebridge Park, Hemel Hempstead 1963-8, Reports of the Research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London, Report 31, The Society of Antiquaries of London, Leeds. Dannell, G.B. 1974. The Samian, in D.S. Neal, The Excavation of the Roman Villa in Gadebridge Park, Hemel Hempstead, 1963-8, Reports of the Research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London, Report 31, The Society of Antiquaries of London, Leeds, 207-10.

A Drag. 37 in Banassac fabric dated c. AD 90-110 is recorded by Dannell (Dannell 1974, 209). It was recovered from: "Occupation over eastern corridor of Building B". [Identification GBD]

North Yorkshire:

York, 12-18 Swinegate 1989

Monaghan, J. 1997. Roman Pottery from York, York Archaeological Trust and the CBA, York. Dickinson, B.M. 1997c. Samian, in J. Monaghan, Roman Pottery from York, York Archaeological Trust and the CBA, York, 943-66.

The following item is are reported:

A decorated bowl thought to be probably from this source is reported (Dickinson 1997c, 944).

Warwickshire:

Alcester, Southern Extramural Area 1964-66

Cracknell, S. and Mahany, C. (eds) 1994. Roman Alcester: Southern Extramural Area 1964-1966 Excavations part 2: Finds and Discussion, CBA Research Report 97, York.

Hartley, B.R., Pengelly, H. and Dickinson, B.M. 1994. Samian ware, in S. Cracknell and C. Mahany (eds) Roman Alcester: Southern Extramural Area 1964-1966 Excavations part 2: Finds and Discussion, CBA Research Report 97, York, 93-119.

Site type: Smaller centre.

Two vessels from this source are reported (Hartley, Pengelly and Dickinson 1994, 93):

Drag. 37, thought to be probably "Trajanic or early Hadrianic?", recovered from a context of late 2nd to mid 3rd century date at Site A (Hartley, Pengelly and Dickinson 1994, 96).
Drag. 37, thought to be probably Banassac ware and Hadrianic, recovered at Site G (Hartley, Pengelly and Dickinson 1994, 100). [Identification BMD, BRH, HP]

Wales:

Caerleon, The Canabae sites 1984-90

Evans, E. 2000. The Caerleon Canabae: Excavations in the Civil Settlement 1984-90, Britannia Monograph Series 16, Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London.

Hartley, B.R. 2000. The samian, in E. Evans, The Caerleon Canabae: Excavations in the Civil Settlement 1984-90, Britannia Monograph Series 16, Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London, 178-97.

Hartley states: "Banassac may be responsible for one decorated bowl" (2000, 181), a Drag. 37 (Hartley 2000, 191, No. 169).

Holt

A decorated bowl recovered at this site is apparently from Banassac (Grimes 1930, Fig. 37, 40; cf. Dannell 1999, 16, No. 50).